Weakfish – Where have they Gone?
Thought to be the most beautiful fish to visit the New England coast, weakfish are now a distant memory. Yeah, New England is at the northern end of their range. So, they never
were constantly up here. Good years and bad years, up and down. Still this is nuts. They have been absent for two decades. Sure a few occasionally pop up in places like Peconic Bay, sitting deep. But don’t let that fool you. Weakfish are a ghost. Where have they gone?
At this writing, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has declared weakfish depleted since 2003. And it’s not overfishing – recreational or commercial. The biologists had concluded that weakfish are experiencing high levels of natural mortality, preventing stock recovery. But exactly why are they not making it to maturity? Predation? Habitat destruction? Pollution? Climate change? All of the above? It’s a mystery that needs to be solved.
